Tesla has open-sourced all of the design and engineering of the original Roadster, CEO Elon Musk announced today, and plenty of people are wondering if the timing of the release has anything to do with the next-gen Roadster that is now several years behind schedule.
Tesla has opened everything from Owner’s Manuals to Circuits and Connectors for the original Roadster, which was the automaker’s first project fifteen years ago in 2008.
The vehicle was essentially a fundraising campaign for Tesla as it fought to keep its doors open and transform the passenger vehicle industry. It almost bankrupted the company, but now, everything that was developed for Tesla’s initial EV project is available for anyone to take a look at.
All design & engineering of the original @Tesla Roadster is now fully open source.
Whatever we have, you now have.https://t.co/5d10soAYr8
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 22, 2023
The timing of the announcement comes toward the end of 2023, and many people are wondering if it could perhaps be a hint that Tesla’s next-gen Roadster is close to being produced.
The Roadster was supposed to be delivered for the first time in 2020, but delays and other vehicle projects have pushed the supposed production and delivery date for the 1.9-second 0-60 MPH supercar from Tesla back.
Elon Musk sets expectations for next-gen Tesla Roadster production
“We are certainly testing the patience of our reservation holders,” Musk said earlier this year. However, he also remarked that the final design and engineering of the Roadster will be completed by the end of 2023, meaning the vehicle should reach production by the end of 2024.
This is a very tentative date, though, as this is not the first time Musk has said the Roadster will be ready by a certain date. He has also said the same thing about Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite for several years, but owners are still waiting for that to be solved.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Cybertruck, which is set to begin deliveries in just eight days, is expected to be a challenging project for Tesla. Musk tempered expectations for the Cybertruck during the Q3 Earnings Call in October and said it could take 18 months for Tesla to ramp production.
Additionally, the $25,000 vehicle is also in development, and we have to imagine that it would be prioritized over the Roadster for several reasons. One would be overall fiscal reasons, and the other would be the $25k vehicle will contribute to overall EV adoption significantly more than the Roadster will.
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